Finding FAA Medical Certification Help

No one is required to pay for assistance.

The first thing that should be discussed is that no one should feel obligated to pay for help obtaining their FAA medical certificate. The FAA publishes a lot of freely available information for everyone to access. From its complete Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners to the specific CACI protocols or any other guidance, the FAA freely provides much of what is needed for review. 

However, there may be times when someone considers assistance to be of value. As a result, the government also makes public all of the information you need to do your taxes. Many people still hire an accountant or other tax assistance professional to aid in their annual tax preparation. They do this because the rules are complicated, and the consequences of doing it wrong can be significant. 

The same can be said for FAA medical certification. The FAA’s published guidance is primarily written for the AMEs. The specialized medical nature of that information and the federal bureaucracy that evaluates your application can make navigating the process challenging for most pilots. Getting it wrong can mean significant medical certification delays or even application denial.

Types of Assistance

Say you are concerned about the ability to get your FAA medical in a timely fashion or just want help to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. What type of help is available to you? Your options include:

• Individual AMEs
• Member organizations (such as AOPA or company/union programs)
• Medical consulting companies (such as Wingman Med or AMAS)
• Attorneys

Understanding the medical guidelines published by the FAA

Individual AMEs may or may not be a great option. Physicians should be able to understand the medical guidelines published by the FAA. They have attended at least one training session with the FAA on performing and processing FAA medical exams. However, as previously discussed in our article about the three types of AMEs, their knowledge and experience regarding complicated medical issues and FAA medical certification can vary widely. If you find an AME that helps with individual consultation service, they will likely charge by the hour. 

Member organizations likely have extensive experience helping people. The larger the group, the more likely they have helped members with various issues. Depending on the group and the services provided at various membership levels, this may also be one of the least expensive methods of obtaining help. However, membership organizations are unlikely to employ physicians in this service. 

Medical consulting companies may vary in who is overseeing your case. They may have physicians on staff, but their level of involvement with your case may vary, and they might not be practicing AMEs. They may charge by the hour or at a flat rate. 

Attorneys will know the law surrounding FAA medical certification. Some may even claim that FAA medical certification is a legal process, not a medical one, as CFR governs it. If they focus on medical certification, they may claim to have connections with physicians who know the medical process. Attorneys will likely charge by the hour with or without a retainer. 

How to choose

If you have decided to use third-party assistance for your FAA medical certification, how do you decide which one to use? We recommend that you look for a combination of expertise, experience, and cost. 

If you are already a member of a member organization offering medical assistance, that should be your first option to explore. They are likely up to date on the rules, they have experience, and it will probably not cost you much more than you already pay for membership. 

If you do not have a membership organization available or have decided that you would like more help than what has been provided, you should start looking at AMEs and consulting companies. In either case, you want to know just how qualified and experienced the individual helping you is. 

Additional questions you can ask your AME

If it is an AME, then some of the vetting has been done for you by the FAA. You know they are a board-certified physician and have been through at least one FAA training seminar. If you can, here are some additional questions you can ask to determine if they would be a good fit for you:

• What is your board certification?
• When was your last FAA AME training?
• Do you only attend the mandatory every 3-year training or go more frequently?
• Are you a member of CAMA or AsMA?
• How often is the AME Guide updated? (Hint: 11 times a year)
• Do you participate in the monthly AME Grand Rounds?
• Have you ever called for an over-the-phone approval on a case?
• How many complicated cases have you handled in the last month?
• Are you a pilot yourself?
• How do you charge, and what is your estimate for how much this will cost?

If you are considering a consulting company, here are some questions you should ask:

• Who will be handling my case?
• What are their qualifications?
• Are they a member of CAMA or AsMA?
• Are they physicians? If so, what specialty are they board-certified in?
• Are they AMEs? If not, why not?
• How do you stay current with FAA medical policy updates and changes?
• Who in your organization are pilots?

Should you hire an attorney?

We do not recommend using an attorney to help with your medical certification. Why not an attorney? It comes down to qualification and expertise. While the requirement for medical certification at certain levels comes from federal regulations, the overall reading of files and decision-making at the FAA is done by physicians, primarily in the Aerospace Medical Certification Division. Your goal is to explain a complicated medical situation to a physician and articulate why and how you meet the FAA medical certification requirements. You need to be able to speak in their language. Physicians don’t talk about law very well, and lawyers don’t speak medicine very well. 

Here is another way to look at it: 

• If you were arrested for a crime you did not commit, would you hire a physician to represent you in court? 
• If you were being sued for violating the terms of a contract, would you hire a physician to handle the litigation? 

If you wouldn’t hire a physician in such situations, why would you hire a lawyer to represent you to a team of physicians? 

There are some cases in which working with a lawyer can be beneficial. Still, when qualifying for a medical certificate, your first step should be to ensure you have adequately demonstrated to the FAA that you are safe to fly. Once your medical records support that, a reasonable attorney may be able to help shield you from potential penalties. 

The best FAA medical assistance

When it comes to 3rd party assistance in your FAA medical certification, be sure you are choosing the best fit for your needs. All else being equal, a practicing AME who has organized their schedule to allow them to focus on difficult FAA certifications will probably be able to provide the best service. One who is also a qualified pilot may have a better intuitive sense of how certain medical conditions can affect the safety of a flight. Ideally, you can find a board-certified Aerospace Medicine physician who is also trained as a pilot and make it a point to stay up-to-date on FAA medical certification policy so they know how to help in any situation.